Tank-lifting truck



4 2 T w .E 9 W- a 4 m w H H H S 2 m. C9 Ui .R N E WMN7 AH BF, Lm Am TL cm a 3 2 9 l s 2 0 n a J WITNESSES tented 2, 1%.23.

lill

ANIDBEYV I'I. EAAKKEN, OF EDiT-EWQOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC 8t llllIANUFr-hCTUR-ING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

TATllY-LIETING TRUCK.

Application filed December 17, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that Cl. Anni- W H. BAnncN, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Tank-Lifting Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for facilirating the manipulation of electrical ap paratus and particularly to transporting and lifiing devices for circuit-interrupter tanks.

One object of my invention is to )2'o\'i e a device of the above indicated character that, shall be simple and durable in construction, effective in operation and easy to manipulate by one person.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for raising and lowering the tanks of circuit-interrupters of the oil-immersed type that shall so facilitate the removal and replacement of the tanks as to effectively reduce the amount of labor ordinarily attending such operation and insure that the interrupters will be out of service only a substantially minimum period of time.

Heretofore, it has been customary in re moving and replacing the tanks of certain types of circuit interrupters, to employ ordinary means, such as levers, chains, jacks, block-and-tackle and numerous other theshift devices or combinations, thus causing much unnecessary labor and expense and being the causes of accidents to workmen and interfering with the operation of a circuit an undue period of time. Further, the services .of more than one person have usually been required in such manipulations.

In practicing my invention, 1 provide a relatively simple and compact combined transporting and lifting device by which the tanks of circuit interrupters may be quickly and expeditiously removed and replaced by a single operator, thus facilitating the manipulation of the tanks, reducing the amount of labor, expense and danger to workmen and insuring a substantially mini mum of interruption in the service of a circuit.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side Serial No. 345,616.

elevational view of the device, showing a tank in one position, and a portion of the tank in another position, thereon, and Fig. 3 is a broken plan view of the device.

in general, my device comprises a vehicle or truck body portion 1, preferably constructed of structural steel, wheels 2 mounted thereon by suitable bearing members 3, a vertical rear wall or end structure 4, a vertical worm screw 5, bearing members 6 for the screw 5, gears 7 for rotating the screw, a shaft 8 for operating the gears, atravelingnut device 9 for the worm screw 5 and cooperating with a platform 10 or other movable structure to raise and lower a tank 11, and side guide members or walls 12 that are preferably tapered from the upper rear to the lower front part of the device.

The body portion 1 is of substantially U- shape and is disposed horizontally with its open end forward, one of the wheels 2 being at the end of each leg and the other wheel 2 being, preferably, mounted in a swivel bearing, at the rear of the body portion. This provides a structure that may be moved forward to a position surrounding a tank on three sides. The horizontal or bottom portion of the platform 10 is, also, similarly of U-shape, from the central por tion of which a vertical end wall or struc- A block 18 of a width less than the distance between the sides of the body portion 1 is provided, at its upper side, with transverse beams 19 that extend beyond the sides of the block 18.

Assuming the tank 11 to be on the block 18 and isolated with respect to both the vehicle 1 and the circuit interrupter, of which it constitutes a part, the vehicle, with the platform 10 in its lower position, may be wheeled, by pushing against handles 20 on the side walls 12, to a position surrounding the tank 11. This places the angle members 15 under the protruding ends of the beams 19 in a position to be lifted by the platform 10. By placing a co-operating crank-handle member 21 on a square or keyed end 22 of the shaft 8 and turning the handle member .21, the tankll may be lifted by VDIOVBIIIGIH} transmitted from the handle 21 to the shaft 8, the gears 7, the screw 5, the traveling-nut device 9, the platform 10 and the block 18 to the tank. When in position on the platform 10, and in moving upwardly, the tank is amply guarded against displacement by the side walls 12 which, in the upper position of the tank, against the circuit interrupter structure (not shown), so clear the upper edges of thetank as to permit ready access to fastening devices (not shown) that are disposed adjacent to the upper edges of the tank. After a tank has been so lifted and secured in operative position, the platform 10 may be lowered and the vehicle 1 moved to position under another tank, either in or away from its operative position. The openings 14: are'provided in the structure 13 to permit gauges, taps or other projecting members 23 on the tank to be placed therein in order that the center of gravity of the tank may be properly positioned with respect to the vehicle 1.

The-device is exceedingly simple in construction and operation and facilitates, to a high degree, the manipulation of relatively heavy tanks that have heretofore been diflicult to handle.

While I have shown and described a par ticular form of my invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A transporting and lifting device comprising a movable truck provided with a horizontally disposed frame and with vertical side walls that have their forward edges inclined rearwardly from the front edge of the frame, a vertically disposed worinscrew supported from the rear edge of the said frame and at one side of the longitudinal center line thereof, a platform having a nut secured thereto for engagement by the worm screw to effect vertical movement of the platform, and a vertically disposed guard plate secured to the rear edge of the platform to prevent a mass carried by the platform from being moved too far rearwardly, an opening being provided in theguard plate, adjacent to its vertical center line, to permit projecting portions of the mass being carried. to extend therethrough.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of November 1919.

ANDBEWV H. BAKKEN. 

